Influence of Location & Context on Development (Edexcel GCSE Geography A)

Revision Note

Jacque Cartwright

Written by: Jacque Cartwright

Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett

Location & Position of India

  • Officially known as the Republic of India, it is the world's seventh-largest country by area

  • Found on the continent of Asia, in the northern hemisphere, India is the most populous country in the world, with 1.43 billion people (2023)

  • Its neighbours are Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Burma, Bhutan, Nepal, and Pakistan

  • India has a long coastline that extends into the Indian Ocean along the south coast, the Arabian Sea on its west coast and the Bay of Bengal along its east coast

  • India also has two island groups:

    • The Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal

    • Lakshadweep Islands in the Arabian Sea

Location and development

  • India is able to access the world via land, sea and air

    • India aims to become a major transport hub like Singapore

  • China and India are major growing economies

    • Leading to competition for trade between the two countries 

  • India has access to large deposits of natural resources that they can trade and use, such as: 

    • Fossil and nuclear fuels

    • Diamonds, gold, silver, nickel and zinc

    • Iron, manganese, and lithium ore reserves 

    • Mica, limestone, marble and bauxite reserves

  • The island groups provide defence security and can also be used as ports for trade

    • They provide a large region of Exclusve Economic Zone, along with natural resources to boost the economy

    • They might also be developed as a tourist destination, providing job opportunities

    • Their position at sea means they can be used for naval and military bases, along with surveillance and communications during wars or crises

Context of India

Social context

  • Regional

    • The country and its people are divided into 28 states and 8 union territories

      • Rajasthan, western India, is the largest, and Goa, on the southwestern coast, is the smallest state

    • The population is divided into social ranks called 'castes', which are assigned at birth

  • Global

    • 20 million Indian diasporas are in 100 countries

    • This globally spread population helps India's economy by sending remittances back home to their families 

Political context

  • Regional

    • It is the largest country of the Indian subcontinent

    • Most of the population lives in six states

      • Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal

  • Global

    • Member of global organisations, including the UN and World Trade Organisation

    • It is the seventh-largest country in the world

    • The most populated country in the world 

 Cultural context

  • Regional

    • Approximately, 80% of the population is Hindu

    • Other religions include Sikhism and Islam 

  • Global

    • India has the second-largest film industry, Bollywood, making over 1600 films a year and viewed by approx. 2.7 billion people

    • Globally, it has the third-largest Muslim population

Environmental context

  • India experiences two monsoon seasons

    • The summer south-west monsoon provides 75% of India's annual rainfall and lasts from June to September

    • The winter north-east monsoon occurs during the cooler months of October to December and delivers around 11% of India's rainfall

Uneven Development in India

  • Development is uneven across India, varying between core states and its periphery

  • Since 1991, India has experienced rapid economic development with the expansion of the service sector

  • This has led to rural-urban migration and urbanised core regions such as Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra having 5 times more GDP than rural periphery areas such as Uttar Pradesh and Assam

  • Uttar Pradesh, with over 200 million people, is mostly rural, which means it has much lower development indicators than states that are mostly urban and industrial, such as Kerala

  • This has led to a widening of social and economic disparities 

Map of India showing GDP per capita (2023) by state, with color-coded categories ranging from $500-$999 to above $8,500. States are labeled for reference.
Per capita GDP per state of India, 2023

Per capita GDP per state of India, 2023

  • From the map above, India has 3 states that can be considered as core regions

  • These are:

    • Sikkim is in the north-east, bordering Nepal and Bhutan

      • Surprisingly, despite its mountainous terrain, Sikkim has a very successful organic agricultural economy

      • In recent years, the state has become an industrial hub of pharmaceuticals, ecotourism and food processing

    • Delhi is India's national capital territory and dominated by the service industry

      • The region has always been a trading and commercial centre in northern India

      • Since the 1990s, New Delhi has become the centre of international corporate and financial services

      • Most work is in trade, finance, public administration, and professional services

    • Goa is on the south-west coast

      • Investment in industries has created exports and brought jobs and wealth to the region

      • Its position on the coast allows for global trade into and out of the country

      • It is also a popular tourist destination with great beaches and rich culture

      • However, there is increased pressure on services, with priority given to tourists and businesses

  • Bihar is a peripheral region where people still rely on agriculture

    • The state is landlocked and has limited connectivity with the rest of the country, and development remains slow

    • Meaning there are few incentives for investment in infrastructure and industry 

    • There is a lack of clean water and rainfall is unreliable, making life difficult

  • It is difficult to provide services to areas that are spread out (peripheral) and hard to reach, compared to core regions

    • Peripheral areas still rely on agriculture for most of their income

    • But as crop yields and prices are variable, incomes are low which deters economic investment into the area

  • Core regions have education, health, and job sites nearby

    • Jobs in core regions tend to pay more than what peripheral workers can earn

  • Peripheral areas tend to have more traditional values than core regions, meaning people may not accept change even if development is improved

    • The caste system may be stronger in peripheral areas

    • Low-caste people still have issues getting secure or good jobs

Examiner Tips and Tricks

When writing about regional differences in development, refer to the core - periphery concept and support your answer with examples. For instance, you could write that Goa has flatter land to build on, making it easier to develop than Bihar, which is mountainous. Therefore, it is easier to attract investment to Goa, making it a core region of development.

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Jacque Cartwright

Author: Jacque Cartwright

Expertise: Geography Content Creator

Jacque graduated from the Open University with a BSc in Environmental Science and Geography before doing her PGCE with the University of St David’s, Swansea. Teaching is her passion and has taught across a wide range of specifications – GCSE/IGCSE and IB but particularly loves teaching the A-level Geography. For the past 5 years Jacque has been teaching online for international schools, and she knows what is needed to get the top scores on those pesky geography exams.

Bridgette Barrett

Author: Bridgette Barrett

Expertise: Geography Lead

After graduating with a degree in Geography, Bridgette completed a PGCE over 25 years ago. She later gained an MA Learning, Technology and Education from the University of Nottingham focussing on online learning. At a time when the study of geography has never been more important, Bridgette is passionate about creating content which supports students in achieving their potential in geography and builds their confidence.